Wall St. Earnings Expectations: The average analyst estimate is for net income of 61 cents per share, a rise of 1.7% from the company’s actual earnings for the year-ago quarter. The average estimate is the same as three months ago. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate was unchanged. It also has not changed during the last month. Analysts are projecting profit to rise by 1.4% compared to last year’s $2.11.

Past Earnings Performance: Last quarter, the company topped expectations by 2 cents, coming in at profit of 63 cents per share versus a mean estimate of net income of 61 cents per share. This followed two straight quarters of missing estimates.

A Look Back: In the third quarter, profit rose 11.5% to $272 million (58 cents a share) from $244 million (51 cents a share) the year earlier, exceeding analyst expectations. Revenue rose 8.9% to $3.52 billion from $3.23 billion.

Key Stats:

Revenue has increased in each of the past four quarters. Revenue rose 6% in the second quarter from the year earlier, climbed 5.7% in the first quarter from the year-ago quarter and 6% in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year.

The increase in profit in the third quarter came after net income fell in the previous quarter. In the second quarter, net income fell 3.7%.

Stock Price Performance: Between November 14, 2011 and February 10, 2012, the stock price rose $4.40 (14.3%), from $30.81 to $35.21. The stock price saw one of its best stretches over the last year between January 13, 2012 and January 27, 2012, when shares rose for 10 straight days, increasing 4.2% (+$1.41) over that span. It saw one of its worst periods between July 21, 2011 and August 2, 2011 when shares fell for nine straight days, dropping 16.2% (-$5.79) over that span.